Potter's Keeper
by RingosGarden
Summary: In response to a challenge issued by Tiffany's Hogwarts Secrets. Harry is sent to Azkaban by Umbridge and Snape is sent to rescue him, de-aging him to his 5 year old body and adopting him as his glamour enhanced son.
1. Chapter 1

"Albus

"_Albus! I can't possi-"_

"_I'm not asking Severus," the Headmaster replied, interrupting me. "Harry does no good to the wizarding world locked up for life. We need him."_

"_But as a child?" I asked, exasperated. "And why me of all people? Why not Black or Lupin or the Weasleys for Merlin's sake?"_

"_Because I asked you."_

That was how I, Severus Tobias Snape, now found myself with an unconscious five year old bloody boy who bloody lived in my own personal quarters. It hadn't been easy sneaking him out of Azkaban. Hell, it hadn't been easy for me to simply sneak out of the castle under that toad Umbridge's watch.

Umbridge.

She was where it all started. Two months into the school year and she had the magnificent savior of the wizarding world incarcerated. Insufferable gnome. This is all her fault. And Albus, asking me to brew a de-aging potion and sneak Potter out of that life-sucking Hell. It's good to know that my Dark Mark is good for something. Dementors don't question the actions of those with Dark Marks unless ordered to.Brilliant.

With no cases on de-aging potions on the human mind, I know bugger all what this potion will do to Potter. Permanent until I choose to reverse it. Apparently it's no concern to the Headmaster as long as he's safely within the confines of Hogwarts. Do now and don't ask questions.

I'm a puppet to both the Light and Dark Lord. Tug on the strings and make puppet Severus dance. Make him scurry. Make him jump. Make him bow.

Bollocks.

How do I get myself into these messes? Potter stirs from my couch and I release the breath that I hadn't realized that I was holding. The glass of Fire Whiskey in my hand now empty. The bottle, newly opened, half empty.

I place my glass on the table as a soft rapping on the door breaks the silence. With a last glance at Potter, I stand, making my way to the door, pausing before opening it. "Who is it?"

"Minerva," she sounded anxious. "Hurry and let me in, I think she might have tailed me."

_She_.

I let her in quickly as she asked and shut the door tightly behind her.

"Where is he?"

With a curt tilt of my head I direct her to the couch which she quickly approaches and kneel down beside. I nearly smile as she mothers him, brushing a strand of hair from his face. Thank Merlin I stop myself as her eyes shoot back towards me; maybe I should have had one less glass.

"He looks…He's so small."

I nod at her. "The potions brings him back to his original five year old body, minus the glamours. He's always been quite small for his age."

"Body?" she asks me.

I pour myself another glass and hold the bottle towards her. She shakes her head at me, declining. "His memory may be intact," I reply.

"Magic?"

"No," I reply, shaking my head. "He'll only have the ability level of a five year old. Accidental- if that. It depends when his magic started to show."

She stands stiffly. "We can't simply let her continue with this. There has to be something that we can do."

"The Headmaster says he is working on it," I reply bitterly. "But I have a feeling that the Weasley twins will get to her first. Especially after the blood quill."

"Did Harry come to you?"

I shake my head. "I'm assuming that Granger gave him something for it. He'd never ask help from me. Another reason why I don't understand why the headmaster is having me care for the boy."

"He's safe with you," she replies, placing her hand on my forearm. "And it's more feasible for him to be your child. He's have no life with Sirius or Remus and you know it."

Knowing that she's right isn't enough to stop me from frowning. "And what life will he have with me, hiding behind glamours? The Dark Lord will be very interested to know about my so called child."

"You're his best hope."

That's what I am. A last resort. Keeper of Harry Bloody Potter. How I love my life.

"Where am I?"

Speaking of Harry Bloody Potter. Minerva is instantly at his side. "Harry?"

"Professor?" he asks confused. Seems he has his memory intact. Great. That certainly makes things more fun for me.

"Yes Harry," McGonagall replies. "You're safe now, Professor Snape rescued you. You're in his quarters."

"Snape?"

I want to bludgeon him and his squeaky pre-pubescent voice. "Yes Potter," I drawl out, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"What's wrong with me?" he asks frantically. "What happened?"

Minerva pauses before answering. "To keep you safe you've been given a potion which has de-aged you to five. As you are to be professor Snape's ward you also have several glamours placed on you so that you can pass as his son."

"Son?"

"Yes Potter," I say through clenched teeth, earning a scathing look from Minerva, but I could care less at the present moment. "For as long as need me, you are now my son, Tobias Snape."

Finally, he's speechless, thank Merlin.

"The couch you are on pulls out," I state. "We'll converse in the morning."

As he nods at me, Minerva once more brushes a strand of hair out of his face and I shudder. The glamours certainly did their trick. He's the spitting image of myself as a child.

Minerva gives me a warning look before bidding me goodnight and leaving towards her own quarters on the third floor.

"Sir?"

I snap my head back towards Potter who jumps at my sudden movement. "What is it?"

"Um…can I use your bathroom?"

Rolling my eyes is inevitable and I point to the loo, not moving from my place until he leaves and finishes, returning with his oversized shirt soaked through. At my questioning look he glares at me.

"I had issue reaching the sink."

My smirk makes him more angry but as I approach him in thought of using a drying spell, he drops to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest.

For a moment I am too stunned at his sudden change in demeanor to do anything.

"Potter," I state, "get up."

He looks sheepishly at me and slowly pulls himself to his face, blush evident on his face. He's embarrassed.

Honestly, what have I gotten myself into? "Bed," I say, turning my back to him to get an extra blanket and pillow from the magically enlarged linen closet.

Turning back around, I stop in my tracks and watch as Potter, with all his might, is unable to pull out the sofa bed. It's easy to see that he's getting aggravated with his small and powerless body. He makes a few more attempts before kicking the sofa.

"Move back."

He jumps at my voice but does as he is told as I use my wand to bring the bed out.

"Thanks," he mutters and I place the pillow and blanket on the bed.

"This room and the bathroom," I say slowly, "are the only places I want to see you anywhere near."

I have a feeling he wants to tell me off but he holds his tongue for possibly the first time in his life.

With a massive migraine, I walk to my bedroom and throw myself into my bed without changing my clothes.

Somehow pajamas just aren't important right now.


	2. Chapter 2

"Potter

"Potter!"

The boy jumps awake and I have to suppress my grin as he falls off the sofa bed and onto the floor.

"Hurt yourself?" I ask as he pushes himself up with a glare, cradling his left arm against his body.

"No," he replies, almost in an embarrassed tone. In a highly annoying tone, that is, which forces me to approach him to see if the short fall actually damaged his delicate body.

He turns to the side so his arm is away from me.

I am by far not in the mood for this and nor do I have the time to deal with his antics. Breakfast is in only a half hour from now. But as I grab his arm, he cries out in pain and I immediately let go, grabbing his shirt collar instead and pulling him towards the kitchen where I can see under better light what he did to himself.

"I'm fine," he mutters, looking down at the floor.

"You are lying," I reply, frowning as I see no other way to examine him but to take his shirt off. He refuses to meet my eyes as I unbutton his top and carefully let it drop off his shoulders.

I gasp at what I see before me.

There are several large bruises on his torso. The source of his pain is obvious to me at once as I look down at his arm; a large bruise in the shape of a hand. I quickly turn him around, making him lose his footing, but I don't care. His back may be worse than his front.

Maybe it's because he's so small right now. Maybe it's because he looks like me. Maybe it's because, now more than ever, I see myself in someone else. Whatever the cause, I am bloody pissed off.

With a deep breath, I turn him back around to face me. "How long," I say slowly, "had this been happening to you?"

"It's not important," Potter quickly replies and I watch as he places his right hand over the bruise, which almost instantly disappears. "See?" he asks me quickly, probably afraid that my anger will be directed towards him. "All better."

I continue to stare at him. Under a normal circumstance, what he just did shouldn't be possible. Under a normal circumstance a five year old should not have that great a control over his magic yet. But Potter is not a normal child and he's obviously been abused for years if he knows to heal his own wounds at such a young age.

"I asked you a question Potter."

He flinches at my anger, another clear sign of child abuse. Working at Hogwarts for fourteen years, I have seen my fair share of abused children. Potter, however, I never picked up on. I could kick myself.

Keeping his eyes on the ground, he shrugs at me. "I don't remember it not happening."

Bloody Muggles. They were supposed to keep him safe. Lily's son was not supposed to have been subjected to this. By his healed scars it looks as if he'd been abused for years already at five. My own father wasn't that bad.

I don't need this.

With a glare, I raise my wand at him which causes him to immediately flinch. Ignoring his reaction, I change his clothes to a clean set of fitting children's robes.

"Slytherin colors?" he asks me in annoyance.

I smirk in return. "You are my son, Tobias. Now hurry and use the bathroom before we're late for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" he says in shock. "I have to eat with everyone like this?"

"Act like a five year old."

He mutters what I take as a sarcastic "wonderful," before walking into the bathroom and nearly slamming the door. I suppose I can let it go this once.

"I don't have to hold your hand do I?" he asks when he finishes.

Insufferable prat.

I grab the back of his robes and push him through the doorway, casting several locking charms and barriers before leaving the dungeons. I can't help but smile as he begins to struggle in my grip, attempting to throw me off him.

"Stop it," I mutter, seeing the strange looks that students were giving us as we walked towards the Great Hall. "You're supposed to be my son. If you want to convince Umbridge you'll have to be well behaved. By all means, if you wish to go back to Azkaban…"

He immediately stops struggling and allows me to lead him through the school.

"So what am I supposed to call you?" he asks quietly so that only I can hear him.

"I expect 'dad,'"

His body tenses. I bet I can guess why. I wasn't expecting to feel sorry for the kid. Nor will I admit to anyone other than myself that I might be.

With a slight pause at the door of the Great Hall, I push Potter inside before me, walking him to the Head table where the Headmaster has already set up another seat to the right of my usual, in between me and Minerva.

Ignoring the sudden silence of the Hall, I direct him to his seat, wordlessly pouring myself a cup of tea before the more than likely barrage of questions by colleagues- and Umbridge.


	3. AUTHOR NOTE

Hi all-

So I've graduated college and I'm working full time and balancing my real-life needs, so I've been more or less absent from this site. I am incredibly grateful for all the support I've received since my haitus, and the messages urging me on to continue my work.

I can't promise any speed, but I'd like to finish a few stories I have on here.

So thank you, and hopefully you'll hear from me again soon.

-Tay.


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